Why Engage Volunteers?

Volunteers are an integral part of social service. By encouraging volunteers to give their time on a regular and sustainable basis, Social Service Agencies (SSAs) can tap on the potential of volunteers in many ways. Volunteers also help to strengthen manpower and improve the service delivery of SSAs.


 

How to Better Manage Volunteers?

NCSS enables our SSAs to build their capability and strategic partnership towards sustainable volunteerism.
Here are five ways to improve your volunteer management practices:

Keen to hire a dedicated volunteer manager?

SSAs are highly encouraged to hire individuals with the recommended skillsets and competencies listed under the Skills Future Framework for Social Service. Refer to the section on How Does It Work? -> Skills Map -> Care and Programme -> Volunteer Manager/Executive.
 

Enhanced Volunteer Manager Funding Scheme (EVMFS)

Launched on 19 August 2020, the Enhanced VMFS is a 2-year manpower support funding scheme which seeks to fund up to 50 Volunteer Managers in SSAs to strengthen volunteer management capacity. It aims to bring in professionals, managers, and executives from outside the social service sector, with transferrable skills and traits into the sector to take on volunteer management roles, contributing at the agency’s strategic planning level.

Application for the Enhanced VMFS Scheme 2020 has closed. However, you can read more about the Enhanced VMFS Scheme 2020 here and 2019 pilot study here [1mb].




An effective volunteer management framework will help your agency to identify opportunities for volunteer partnerships, get volunteers ready for regular commitment and put in place practices to recruit, manage and retain regular volunteers.
Download the Volunteer Management Toolkit here [4mb].
 
The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the importance of having a contingency plan to manage and ensure continuity of services during a crisis. NCSS has developed a guide to help agencies better manage volunteers during a crisis and plan for an effective recovery. Download the Volunteer Continuity Plan [800kb].




Cultivating a good volunteer experience is key to building a pool of regular volunteers for your agency. Make it easier for your volunteers to commit regularly by providing bite-sized volunteer opportunities of about 1-2 hours per session, with well-defined roles, based on the volunteers’ preferences and the needs of your agency. Think of the factors that would motivate you to continue volunteering with an agency. Acknowledge their contributions, be open to their feedback, support and develop your volunteers.
Learn more about sustaining volunteer partnerships.
 
Try out the Volunteer Engagement Tool (VET), developed by NCSS to help SSAs understand volunteer satisfaction and identify opportunities for improvement. This free tool saves you the hassle of designing, developing and managing your own surveys.

• Simply email the unique survey link to your volunteers
• Automatically receive an online dashboard with your results
• Track results over time.

Sign up for your complimentary tool now!
Or, read up on our FAQs; if you have further questions about the VET.

Join our volunteer management community!

Want to find out more about our volunteer management initiatives, register here to be a part of the community!
Alternatively, feel free to drop us an email at volunteer_resource@ncss.gov.sg for any queries related to volunteer management.